An upcoming European Union/New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA) will benefit the metals industry, New Zealand and European experts have told Metal Bulletin, after a preparatory customs agreement between the partners came into force on May 1.
Notably, Europe will gain more access to New Zealand's quality low emission-produced metals as well as metal components, Nick Collins, chief executive of industry association Metals New Zealand (Metals NZ) said. "In spite of our isolation, New Zealand has significant competitive advantage in that our metals have significantly lower carbon footprints than metals produced elsewhere in the world, less than 4 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of aluminium, as over 80% of our electricity is from renewable sources," Collins told Metal Bulletin on Tuesday May 8. "New Zealand manufacturers are focused on quality componentry, particularly cost effective manufacture of small runs of specialised components," he added, citing AW Fraser Ltd (engineered and machined bronze) and Buckley Systems (precision electromagnets) as examples. So European manufacturers, "who differentiate their business on quality and sustainability principles will continue to source material/componentry from New Zealand,"...